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16 December: what is celebrated today
16 December brings together two anniversaries that speak to each other in an unexpected way: one defends human bonds and empathy, while the other celebrates creativity as a universal language. Both, at heart, invite us to the same thing: to connect — with others, with ourselves and with the world we imagine.
International Day against Unwanted Loneliness
Since 2025, the Fundación Social Padre Ángel and the Mensajeros de la Paz organisation have promoted this global day dedicated to one of the great silent epidemics of the 21st century: unwanted loneliness. It is commemorated on 16 December, coinciding with the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, a genius who knew how to transform his isolation into immortal art.
Unwanted loneliness is not being alone, but feeling disconnected, without ties or emotional support. According to the WHO, its health consequences are comparable to smoking or obesity. The United Kingdom was the first country to create a Ministry of Loneliness in 2018; Japan followed in 2021, after the pandemic.
This observance reminds us that the solution begins in everyday life: a phone call, a conversation, a kind gesture. Proposals include neighbourhood networks, intergenerational programmes and community spaces where people can once again feel seen and heard.
Draughtsman's Day (Venezuela)
Also on 16 December, Venezuela celebrates Draughtsman's Day, a tribute to those who express the soul through lines, strokes and colours. Drawing, one of the earliest forms of human art, is more than technique: it is a way of thinking with the hands.
The draughtsman — whether artist, illustrator, designer or architect — translates emotions into forms, stories into images and ideas into visual beauty. Every stroke contains a unique view of the world.
This date invites us to recognise those who, with pencil, ink or graphic tablet, portray our reality and reinvent it. People are encouraged to take part by drawing, sharing works on social media or simply celebrating the art of observing and creating.